BERLIN — Women will ride Berlin’s metro, trams and buses at a 21 percent discount this month to reflect Germany’s gender pay gap, the city’s mass transit operator BVG said[2] on Tuesday. The “Frauenticket” will appear at city ticket machines on March 18, with stamped passes valid until 3 a.m. the next day, BVG said. The discount would reduce the cost of a day ticket in the inner two zones of Berlin from EUR7 to EUR5.50.

Any men holding a discounted ticket will be treated as fare dodgers. “This is just like other discounted tickets: Those who use them must prove that they are eligible,” said BVG. The operator said it apologizes to any men who feel discriminated against, but continued: “On the other hand, who apologizes to the women who earn on average 21 percent less?” BVG, which is owned by the city and employs around 15,000 people, said it is pressing ahead with its target to increase female representation in its workforce from 20 percent to 27 percent by 2022.

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